mental health/spirituality

Monthly Archives: March 2017

reflexology

Reflexology Important health care #Modality

Definition

Reflexology is a therapeuticmethod of relievingpain by stimulatingpredefinedpressurepoints on thefeetandhands.Thiscontrolledpressurealleviatesthesource of thediscomfort. In theabsence of anyparticularmalady or abnormality,reflexologymay be as effectiveforpromotinggoodhealthandforpreventingillness as it may be forrelievingsymptomsof stress, injury,andillness.

Reflexologistsworkfrommaps of predefinedpressurepointsthatarelocated on thehandsandfeet.Thesepressurepointsarereputed to connectdirectlythroughthenervoussystemandaffectthebodilyorgansandglands.Thereflexologistmanipulatesthepressurepointsaccording to specifictechniques of reflexologytherapy. By means of thistouchingtherapy,anypart of thebodythat is thesource of pain,illness, or potentialdebilitycan be strengthenedthroughtheapplication of pressure at therespectivefoot or handlocation.

Purpose

Reflexologypromoteshealing by stimulatingthenerves in thebodyandencouragingtheflow of blood. In theprocess,reflexologynotonlyquellsthesensation of pain,butrelievesthesource of thepain as well.

Anecdotally,reflexologistsclaimsuccess in thetreatment of a variety of conditionsandinjuries.Onecondition isfibromyalgia. Peoplewiththisdiseaseareencouraged to undergoreflexologytherapy to alleviateany of a number ofchronicbowelsyndromesassociatedwiththecondition.Frequentbriefsessions of reflexologytherapyarealsorecommended as an alternative to drugtherapyforcontrollingthemusclepainassociatedwithfibromyalgiaandforrelievingdifficultbreathingcaused by tightness in themuscles of thepatient’sneckandthroat.

Reflexologyappliedproperlycanalleviateallergysymptoms, as well as stress,backpain,andchronicfatigue. Thetechniques of reflexologycan be performedconveniently on thehand in situationswhere a session on thefeet is notpractical,althoughtheeffectiveness of limitedhandtherapy is lesspronouncedthanwiththefootpressuretherapy.

Description

Origins

Reflexology is a healingart of ancientorigin.Althoughitsoriginsarenotwelldocumented,therearereliefs on thewallsof a SixthDynastyEgyptiantomb(c.2450B.C.) thatdepicttwoseatedmenreceivingmassage on theirhandsandfeet.FromEgypt,thepracticemayhaveenteredtheWesternworldduringtheconquests of theRomanEmpire.Theconceptsof reflexologyhavealsobeentraced to pre-dynasticChina(possibly as early as 3000B.C.) and to ancientIndianmedicine.TheIncacivilizationmayhavesubscribed to thetheories of reflexologyandpassed on thepractice of thistreatment to theNativeAmericans in theterritoriesthateventuallyenteredtheUnitedStates.

In recenttimes,SirHenryHeadfirstinvestigatedtheconceptsunderlyingreflexology in England in the1890s.Therapistsin GermanyandRussiawereresearchingsimilarnotions at approximatelythesametime,althoughwith a differentfocus.Lessthantwodecadeslater, a physiciannamedWilliam H. Fitzgeraldpresented a similarconceptthat he calledzoneanalgesia or zonetherapy.Fitzgerald’szoneanalgesiawas a method of relievingpainthroughtheapplication of pressureto specificlocationsthroughouttheentirebody.Fitzgeralddividedthebodyinto 10 verticalzones,five on eachside,thatextendedfromthehead to thefingertipsandtoes,andfromfronttoback.Everyaspect of thehumanbodyappears inone of these 10 zones,andeachzonehas a reflexarea on thehandsandfeet.Fitzgeraldandhiscolleague,Dr.EdwinBowers,demonstratedthat by applyingpressure on onearea of thebody,theycouldanesthetize or reducepain in acorrespondingpart. In 1917,FitzgeraldandBowerspublishedRelievingPain at Home, an explanation of zonetherapy.

Later, in the1930s, a physicaltherapist,Eunice D. Ingham,exploredthedirection of thetherapyandmadethestartlingdiscoverythatpressurepoints on thehumanfootweresituated in a mirrorimage of thecorrespondingorgans of thebodywithwhichtherespectivepressurepointswereassociated.Inghamdocumentedherfindings,whichformedthebasis ofreflexology, in StoriestheFeetCanTell, published in 1938.AlthoughIngham’swork in reflexologywasinaccuratelydescribed as zonetherapy by some,therearedifferencesbetweenthetwotherapies of pressureanalgesia.Amongthemoremarkeddifferences,reflexologydefines a precisecorrelationbetweenpressurepointsandafflictedareas of thebody.Furthermore,Inghamdividedeachfootandhandinto 12 respectivepressurezones, in contrast to the 10 verticaldivisionsthatencompasstheentirebody in Fitzgerald’szonetherapy.

In 1968twosiblings,DwightByersandEusebiaMessenger,establishedtheNationalInstitute of Reflexology. By theearly1970stheinstitutehadgrownandwasrenamedtheInternationalInstitute of Reflexology.

In a typicalreflexologytreatment,thetherapistandpatienthave a preliminarydiscussionprior to therapy, to enablethetherapist to focusmoreaccurately on thepatient’sspecificcomplaintsand to determinetheappropriatepressurepointsfortreatment.

A reflexologysessioninvolvespressuretreatmentthat is mostcommonlyadministered in foottherapysessions ofapproximately40-45minutes in duration.Thefoottherapymay be followed by a brief15-minutehandtherapysession.No artificialdevices or specialequipmentareassociatedwiththistherapy.Thehumanhand is theprimarytoolused inreflexology.Thetherapistappliescontrolledpressurewiththethumbandforefinger,generallyworkingtowardtheheel ofthefoot or theouterpalm of thehand.Mostreflexologistsapplypressurewiththeirthumbsbent;however,somealsousesimpleimplements,such as theeraserend of a pencil.Reflexologytherapy is notmassage,and it is not asubstituteformedicaltreatment.

Reflexology is a complexsystemthatidentifiesandaddressesthemass of 7,000nerveendingsthatarecontained inthefoot.Additionalreflexologyaddressesthenervesthatarelocated in thehand.This is a completelynaturaltherapythataffordsreliefwithouttheuse of drugs.TheReflexologyAssociation of America(RAA)formallydiscouragestheuseof oils or otherpreparations in performingthishands-ontherapy.

Preparations

In order to realizemaximumbenefitfrom a reflexologysession,thetherapist as well as thepatientshould be situated soas to affordoptimalcomfortforboth.Patients in generalreceivetreatment in a recliningposition,withthetherapistpositioned as necessary—towork on thebarefeet, or alternately on thebarehands.

A reflexologypatientremovesbothshoesandsocks in order to receivetreatment. No otherpreparation is involved. Noprescriptiondrugs,creams,oils, or lotionsareused on theskin.

Precautions

Reflexology is extremelysafe. It mayeven be self-administered in a limitedformwheneverdesired.Thequalifiedreflexologistoffers a clearandopendisclaimerthatreflexologydoesnotconstitutemedicaltreatment in anyform,nor isreflexologygiven as a substituteformedicaladvice